Stop the Super Trawler

To:
The Australian Fisheries Minister

We call on the Australian Government to reject the fishing trawler, FV Margiris, and its plan to plunder our ecologically important small pelagic fishery. For more go to stopthetrawler.net

Why is this important?

One of the world’s biggest fishing trawlers with a history of over exploiting fish stocks, the FV Margiris, wants to trawl for small pelagic fish – some of the most critical species in our marine ecosystem. Small pelagic fishing around Tasmania already has a bad record. The surface schools of jack mackerel that were once common off southeast Tasmania have not returned after the collapse of that fishery over 20 years ago.

The fish are a vital food source for important species like the critically endangered southern bluefin tuna, marine mammals, seabirds and game fish. Trawlers like this not only catch the target species, they also get tonnes of bycatch - unwanted marine life like dolphins, seals and seabirds, that gets thrown back dead.

This fishing trawler is the opposite of the fishing activities we need to ensure healthy oceans and healthy communities – we need better valued seafood that doesn’t rely on government subsidies, sustainable employment for local fishermen, science based fisheries management, and no unwanted by-catch.

How it will be delivered

The Stop the Trawler coalition group led by Rebecca Hubbard from Environment Tasmania delivered 35,000 signatures to Canberra on 15 August. Now that politicians are starting to take notice, we need more signatures to push them over the line. Please spread the word.